After that major showdown with the Joker and Black Mask's gang accompanied by that blast in Crime Alley, Red Hood disappeared for Gotham for a while. There was word that he was still controlling the drug trade of the city, making sure that the dealers weren't deviating from their fixed limitations. But there had been no public appearance of the Red Hood after that.

The scarlet helmet and the armor he used to wear was locked up in a cupboard, the lock of which hadn't been turned open ever since that night. However, Jason Todd was still there in the city, living in the shadows and keeping away from Batman's strict watch.

He usually spent most of his time with Evelyn because her company made him forget about all the unpleasant parts of his life. And though it was taking him time to adjust to the normal life where he didn't have to think about revenge or the past, he was still adamant on making the best out of it.

Because not everyone was given a second chance and surely he did not want to waste his second chance at life.

The alleys were dark as Jason walked through, his footsteps untraceable and his pace steady as he crossed the cobblestoned paths. Silence engulfed him until there was a gust of wind behind him and a voice sounded catching him by alarm.

"Jason?"

He stopped in his tracks, knowing that he wasn't alone in the dark alley. The sound of footsteps behind him would have been inaudible to an average human but with his heightened senses, he could pick up on it easily. 

The swish of the cape and the slight tap of the boots was enough for him to deduce that the person behind him was a vigilante. However the voice was much younger than Richard or Bruce's and his jaw clenched slightly upon realizing who it would be.

Red Robin. Or rather Timothy Jackson Drake, Bruce Wayne's recent adoption case.

And though he had paused hearing his own name being called out, he started walking again as if not wishing to face the boy.

"Jason, stop," the pace quickened and the younger vigilante approached him at last, his gloved hand closing on to his shoulder.

Jay shrugged him off immediately spinning around and catching him by surprise, his hand gripped him by the throat pushing him to the wall behind him.

Bluish green eyes burned in an unfathomable fire as he studied the boy's half concealed features. He wasn't as muscular and broadly built as Jason had been at his age, his skin was deathly pale and though the mask was covering his eyes, Jay knew he could peel it off right then to see a pair of uncertain blue eyes.

Timothy Drake, the new Robin. Not in any way resembling him in stature or built but Robin nevertheless.

The boy was quick to wriggle out of his grip and stood in front of him, gloved hand rubbing his throat slightly. "Can we talk?"

"No," he replied firmly.

"If you think someone has sent me to talk to you, you're wrong. I came by myself because I want to clear some things to you," his words were calculated and well rehearsed, as if he had been preparing himself for quite some time earlier as well, "I can give you my word that I won't tell Batman."

There was an awkward pause between them but Jay hadn't torn his threatening gaze away from him, "why would you want to talk to me? It will be of no use."

"I know you probably hate me but..."

"I don't hate you, kid," his tone was slightly harsh, "why would I hate someone who would fall to the same fate I did, sooner or later?"

"It's not like that... He tried to save you, he still feels the guilt..."

"He feels nothing!" His voice rose to an alarming pitch such that Red Robin backed off, "if he felt any sort of guilt, he wouldn't have turned you into what I used to be. He wouldn't have risked another life, another soldier, another fault..."

The words seemed to have cut through him as his lip pressed together into a small frown, "he didn't turn me into Robin. I am responsible for that. I asked him and pestered him until he agreed."

Surprise flickered on Jay's features, "you asked him?"

"I had figured out who he was," his voice was lowered, "I blackmailed him, not something I'm proud of but it did get him to agree to train me."

He stood silent looking at him almost flabbergasted; the boy standing in front of him must have had remarkable guts to trace out the Dark Knight's identity and even persuade him to let him join. "So he trained you because he had no other option?"

"Sort of?"

"Let's see what you've got then."

Without warning he had lunged towards him, and though Red Robin wasn't expecting it he seemed unfazed as he dodged the blow. He was much more flexible and seemed to use that to his advantage. But Jason had not only been trained by Batman alone, instead he had the credit of working alongside the deadliest of mercenaries in all those years he had stayed away from Gotham.

Jason succeeded in snatching the bo staff and throwing it afar, making him resort to hand to hand combat. And though Timothy Drake was not as bad as he had expected, he was still lacking the experience Jay had achieved over time.

Within the next five minutes, Jason had him pinned to the wall, his knee digging into his back forcefully, "you lose, kid. It takes more than just wit to be Robin."

However, he straightened soon as Jay released him and though blood was dried at the corner of his jaw and his breathing was erratic but he still stood as straight and stiff as a resilient warrior. "I will do whatever it takes to prove myself. You can't pass this judgement on one combat alone."

And at that moment Jason saw that stubbornness in him which had been such a huge part of his personality and despite the fact that he had been nowhere near lenient on him, his eyes softened slightly. Because even though the boy in front of him was so different from him in appearance, at that moment he had had the same streak of ambition that Jay had had.

"I died because I wasn't tough enough even though I lived on the streets, fought for my own food, dealt with muggers and thieves back when you had been Mummy and Daddy's precious little kid, snuggled up in warm blankets and living unaware of the perils this city has in store," Jason resumed in a slightly softer tone but the words were sharp nevertheless, "I died because I was brash and reckless, because I overestimated myself. And even though I'm back, I'm no longer who I used to be. You have not seen even a quarter of the dangers I had faced on a daily basis before he took me in. And if you still consider yourself fit to be Robin and live up to it... You're wrong."

Red Robin was listening closely to each word but the resilience on his features hadn't wavered.

"I don't hold anything against you, Timothy. If you keep this title, there will be many nights you will return bleeding and beat up and maybe there will be a time you won't return at all. You were stupid to ask him to turn you into Robin and even more stupid to think you can prove yourself fit for the title. I died doing that and if you go any further, you will too."

Jason knew his words were cruel and cutting through the boy's young and ambitious heart but he wasn't lying. All he had said was the bitter truth he had learnt from his own life and death.

A truth that he was willing to share with Gotham's newest young hero because he didn't want anyone else to end up in the same fate as he did.

"If you ever stop me again, I will make sure you go back hurt even worse," he muttered darkly, eyes piercing through the black mask even though the blue irises he was aiming for weren't visible, "and if you are as smart as they say, you will take my advice and quit. If not then you will yourself be responsible for your fate."

Jason had turned around, walking away with a certainty that Red Robin wouldn't stop him again.

But his voice reached him nevertheless and to his surprise, the tone was firm and decisive, "when I asked him to turn me into Robin, I had considered all of these outcomes. I am not afraid of getting beaten up or ending up in a horrible fate but I will make sure not to myself cause such a thing happening."

"You have no idea what you're talking about," the crowbar and the blast swam in his vision again so he quickened his pace but the vigilante didn't follow, "if it was that easy, I would still have been Robin and you would still be the rich kid, living unaware of all the dangers the citizens go through."

"I'm not saying that it was your fault," he made one last attempt and it seemed as if it worked for Jay had stopped in his tracks, listening to him, "I'm just saying that I would be more cautious. I will prove myself, just you wait and see."

He stood still but then turned his head slightly to see Red Robin fastening his bo staff on his back and fixing his grappling hook. "You may not be tough enough but surely you're idiotic enough to continue with this stupid parade of heroes and vigilantes. I can't wait for the time you realize how futile all of this actually is."

"You can't dissuade me, Jason. I may not be as roughed up as you had been before becoming Robin but I won't give it up." He had fixed his hook onto a building and tugged at the cable, "you're welcome to hurt me even worse if I stop you again because I will."

Jason watched the flash of red and black fade into the night sky and deep down he knew he had underestimated Timothy Drake. He didn't know whether Tim could make a better Robin or not but he was too noble a soul to be wasted in that sick theater of crime and justice that ran in Gotham on a daily basis.

***